The 16-year-olds who received their GCSE results on Thursday were in their first year of secondary school when Covid struck. The ensuing chaos and disruption cast a long, destabilising shadow over their education, which was further undermined by the inadequate response of successive Conservative administrations. In such circumstances, those celebrating this week deserve immense praise for achieving grades that can open the door to exciting opportunities and futures.
For the new Labour government, however, which has made it a priority to reduce levels of educational inequality, the overall results point to significant challenges. As expected, they more or less confirm a return across Britain to pre-Covid norms. Like last year, grades in England were only marginally above pre-pandemic levels, following the inevitable inflation when they were awarded through teacher assessment.
